Pineapples and Oranges
by EveningInHornersCorners
Summary: Mary Ann never wanted to hurt anyone. But there seemed no way to avoid it, if she had to choose just one.


_**A/N: I know, **__**another**__** one? Sorry.**_

"That's such a pretty butterfly, Gilligan!" Mary Ann cooed as she looked at the specimen her friend had caught.

"Thank you, Mary Ann." Gilligan beamed. He lifted the jar off the communal table and handed it to her. "You can have it."

"Oh, thank you Gilligan, but I think we'd better set it free. It'll be happier that way." And with that, Mary Ann unscrewed the lid. She watched the insect fly away, the blues and purples of its wings a sight to behold as they blended together, even as the butterfly became more distant. She replaced the lid and gave the jar back to the first mate.

"Where should we go next, Mary Ann?" Gilligan asked eagerly, slinging his net over his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry Gilligan. I promised I'd go help the Professor with an experiment today. But we can go hunting again tomorrow if you want."

"Oh." Gilligan's shoulders sagged. "You've been spending a lot of time with the Professor, haven't you?"

"I guess I have." She knew that she had. Every day for the past week, she helped him with an experiment at least once. Mary Ann looked into his eyes and almost felt guilty because of the hurt in them, but she shook off the feeling and turned in the direction of the Professor's hut.

"Mary Ann?" Gilligan called after her. She turned back around to face the first mate. "You're my best friend." He declared.

A smile spread over Mary Ann's lips. "You're my best friend too, Gilligan."

###

The Professor paced his hut nervously.

_Where is she? I expected her ten minutes ago. _

He knew he didn't really need to worry about the Kansas girl. She had made mention of the fact that she was going butterfly hunting with Gilligan that afternoon, so he knew she was in good hands.

Still, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous. As long as he'd known her, she'd _never _been late. What if something had happened to her?

At long last, he heard his hut door creak open and the Kansan stepped inside.

"Sorry I'm late Professor. Gilligan caught this beautiful butterfly, and we spent a long time looking at it."

"It's alright, Mary Ann. I obviously understand why scientific fascination often induces tardiness."

"What's this experiment about?"

"Well…I…uh…you see…um…it's really quite simple…I just…" he stuttered, sensing that a look of desperation was already on his face.

"Professor, do you feel alright? I've never seen you so nervous." There was concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Mary Ann." _Look, Roy, you can't mess this up. _He sternly reprimanded himself. His hand shaking, he pulled something out of his pocket.

"Mary Ann, you see, I've never done this before, and so that's why it's an experiment. I was wondering if…if you… would…you know… be my girl." He held up his class ring on a chain. Mary Ann's breath caught.

"Professor, do you mean…"

"No. Marriage on this island, unless absolutely necessary, would be a terrible inconvenience. It doesn't even have to be an engagement, if you don't want it to be. Just, would you go steady with me, so to speak?"

The brunette was shocked, but there was also a pleasant tingling feeling playing over her entire body. No one had ever asked her such a question before. She'd never been popular among the boys back in Kansas, at least not from a romantic standpoint. Especially after that dreadful Horace had ruined her reputation. Peering into the Professor's deep brown eyes, she saw true sincerity. He had never asked anyone this before, he had said. She knew it was quite an honor to be the first. When he was in school, there must have been girls falling for him all over the place. Who wouldn't?

She took the class ring from his hand.

"Yes, Professor. I'll be your girl."

###

After Mary Ann had left, Gilligan had tried to recruit Ginger to catch butterflies, but the movie star firmly lectured him on how dirty such things could get and had, essentially, slammed the door in his face.

But, even though he continued to do it, he found butterfly hunting wasn't really any fun when you were by yourself. There was no one else to marvel at what you had caught, even if it was a very common type. He sure wished the Professor and Mary Ann would hurry up and finish that experiment soon. It was almost dinnertime, and if there was one thing Gilligan enjoyed more than butterfly hunting, it was eating.

Granted, of course, that Ginger wasn't cooking.

###

It was while the first mate was chasing down a red butterfly which exactly matched his shirt that Mary Ann emerged from the Professor's hut, grinning broadly.

"Hi Mary Ann!" he called, abandoning the butterfly and his net and running towards her.

"Hi Gilligan."

"What's for dinner?" He asked eagerly.

"The Skipper hasn't come up from the lagoon with today's catch yet, so I don't know. But could you take the skin off this pineapple for me?" She handed him the fruit.

"Sure, Mary Ann." He replied, sitting down at the communal table and opening his pocketknife. The Kansan started toward her cooking area.

"So, did you catch anything else while I was…aah!" Mary Ann cried as she felt herself trip over a rock and begin to fall. She went flying.

"Mary Ann!" Gilligan dropped his pocketknife, swiveled around and caught her just before she hit the sand.

"Thank you Gilligan." She said, relieved that he had been able to catch her, even if the sand wasn't very hard.

Suddenly, Gilligan's eyes became as round as saucers. He stared at her neck.

_Oh no…_

Mary Ann realized that, when she had fallen, the chain had dropped out of where she had tucked it into her shirt. And even Gilligan knew the significance of a class ring.

Everything else that happened was a blur. She felt herself hit the sand, the first mate's strong, comforting grip gone. Mary Ann was able to turn her head just long enough to see him disappear into the lush jungle.


End file.
